Potala Palace(The Pearl on the Roof of the World)

2011-06-15
man
Sights
Tibet
1784

The famous Potala Palace is the landmark on the Snow-covered plateau, at the same time which is one of the world precious culture heritages

1300 years ago, in order to marry with Princess Wen Cheng, Tuan King, Sontzen Gampo began to build the large-scale castle-style buildings. For the following long time, after the countless expansion and construction, the Potala Palace gradually became the center of Politics and Religion in Potala Palace. Until 1959s, the Potala Palace was not a Politic place anymore, but had the religion function after 14th Dalai, Tenzin Gyatso’s departure of Tibet.

In order to protect the Potala Palace, nowadays it has the limit number of 2300 visitors (It is said that 1600 of them is for group people, only 700 individual travelers). So please make an appointment before one day in advance to ensure that you can pay a visit to the Potala Palace. Only the people who get the ticket can visit Potala Palace. Pay attention that the tickets write a strict time period. If your ticket is expired, it will be useless.

We arrived in the afternoon. We saw a lot of devout believers kowtowing on the sidewalk outside the Potala Palace. In this city which is full of belief, we had a deep impression of them. We admired and blessed them.

We entered the gate of Potala Palace (entrance for individual visitor) with the tickets. We began our unforgettable trip in my life to Potala Palace, which is a dignity, majesty, sacred and mysterious religious site.

The main entrance of the Potala Palace made us feel the dignity and majesty. We went into the Potala Palace with pious heart.

Here is the tour route for you.

Having safe inspection at the gate, we needed to check the tickets
As the rules we know, all the things which are flammable, explosive, guns and knives are not permitted to bring into Potala Palace.

After the safe inspection, we viewed the panorama of Potala Palace. The mountain of Potala Palace is magnificent. It not only has the distinctive features of Tibetan architecture, the palace also owns rich cultural connotation. Everyone who comes here carries respect and longing, not really into the palace, has been completely shocked

We came along the tour route and then arrived at the steps of "White House" in Potala Palace; here was a ticket office which was also a place of checking the booking voucher. The entrance of team was nearby, so here was a place of checking the number of major appointed team.

Intimating contact with the Potala Palace, I didn’t know what kind of feelings can express in words. Excited? Calm? Even a trace of awe? Because the cognitive emotion of Palace was too rich, as well as no one could dominate. Then we could just to let ourselves blend in her.

The monument without words stands at more than 300 years in Potala Palace.
In that year, Lobsang Gyatso Dalai announced reconstruct the Potala Palace. In order to commemorate, people set the Stela when the building was completed from ever since.

Along the ladder, we set off to the "White House”.
The height of Lhasa is 3,700 meters, it’s a little difficult to climb the stairs, adjust the breathing, and it’s not a problem of altitude reaction.

We pressed the camera shutter from time to time on the way, because the palace was fascinating from every angle.
It is said that the feeling of first impression of the palace was not so great, but when we walked on the way to Potala Palace, we corrected the wrong feeling. It’s not only a magnificent palace, but also a great building.

In the sunshine, the wall of the palace reflected holy white.
Even the pavement, no one would have the heart to make a little bit dust.

In order to take this picture, I came here to wait, when people went to the right side of the ladder to enter the White House, I freeze-framed this moment.

Potala Palace no people inside was even more holy and solemn.

We came close to the ticket office.
Don’t neglect these steps. It’s totally different from climbing the same height in plateau. People who had altitude sickness would always stop.

Enter the first door. It’s not any palace, but a door leading to the ticket office only, it’s so splendid.
The murals on the wall attracted us. Unfortunately there was no guide. We could not know their stories.

The doors of palace were magnificent, which showed the sanctity of the power of religion.
There were seven lion-like animals at the top of the door.

Solemn entrance also focused on details.
The color coordination, decoration depiction and the weaving on the rope line of doors, many of them had their meanings and stories.

Here’s a feature of mural on the wall, exquisite and lifelike. There’re so-called carved beams.
I was suddenly curious about inward of the Potala Palace!

Through the door, you needed to cross a channel to go to the ticket office.
The color of the channel was yellow which represents power; it may be a symbol of caesaropapism.

We saw a palace when getting on the channel, and it’s the true starting point of visiting the Potala Palace.
Do not hurry to go inside first. The ticket office was on your right hand side. We bought reservation ticket by booking.

Some people were buying ticket; others had a break.
The tickets of Potala palace was exquisite, the price of ticket was 200 Yuan in peak season, 100 Yuan in low season.

According to the provisions of the Potala Palace, taking photos and shooting were forbidden in visiting the palace, therefore, It’s unable to show the internal details.
The "White House" of Potala Palace, name after its white wall. It’s the living places of the Dalai Lama, also the former seat of the Tibetan local government offices, a total of seven floors.

Here is a picture of "The White House”, surrounded by podium building.

Begin the "White House" tour.
The top of the Palace was the Dalai Lamas chamber-- "Solar Temple"; the sixth floor and fifth floor were the living and office space; there’s the largest temple of White House—East Hall in the fourth floor, the throne of the Dalai Lama was inside, the Potala Palace Enthronement ceremony of major events were held here.

The Red palace of Potala Palace
Red Palace was located in the central of Potala Palace, exterior wall was red. The main building of Red Palace was the pagoda of the Dalai Lama; total was five, namely, V, VII, VIII, IX and XIII. There were many scripture halls around Dalai and th